APART would lay special focus on value addition in the production and post-harvest segments of selected agricultural commodity value-chains ; facilitate agribusiness investments through inclusive business models, that provide opportunities to small farmers as well as stimulate the establishment of new small & medium agribusiness enterprises; and support resilience of agriculture production systems in order to better-manage the increasing production and risks associated with climate change, in the targeted districts .

The project would adopt a cluster strategy, to generate economies of scale; promote vertical and horizontal links between local agricultural enterprises; enable diffusion of innovations; leverage network externalities; and channel public support for services and infrastructure. By adopting a cluster approach, project would enable all the value chain participants to develop competitive and innovative products that meet current market demands.

Project Development Objective (PDO) of APART is to “add value and improve resilience of selected agriculture value chains, focusing on smallholder farmers and agro-entrepreneurs in targeted districts of the State of Assam ” .The guiding principles of the project are: (i) focus on cluster approach to bring forth Assam’s comparative advantage to meet the growing domestic, regional and the potential international demand; (ii) increase private sector participation in the development of agriculture supply chains and markets; and (iii) improve public sector capacity in delivering climate resilient technology transfer and related support services.

The PDO be would be achieved by: (i) promoting investments in agri-enterprises, reducing the business and transaction costs, facilitating access to finance for agribusiness entrepreneurs, and, where appropriate, push for process, regulatory and/or policy change; (ii) supporting the development of a modern supply chain; improved information communication technologies (ICT) based farm information and intelligence services, and alternative marketing channels; and (iii) improving producer’s access to knowledge, technologies and infrastructure so that they are able to respond to market opportunities and climate variability. The detailed Project Implementation Plan (PIP) is under preparation by implementing agencies, and the broad outline of various components and sub-components of APART framed by the World Bank are:

(a) Component A: Enable Agri-Enterprise Development: The focus of this component to enhance the pace of agricultural enterprise growth and employment in the targeted districts. This would be done by establishing a cohesive institutional platform, and securing increased private sector investment in the development of value chains, processing and marketing in the targeted districts.

• Enhancing state capacity to attract private investments: The project would support and strengthen the Assam Bureau of Investment Promotion (ABIP) to market investment opportunities in the state and provide promotion, facilitation and aftercare, in collaboration with other relevant structures. The project will also support the setting up Enterprise Development and Promotion Facility (EDPF) to foster and accelerate the growth of agro-processing sector, with specific focus on MSMEs;
• Setting up of Agribusiness SME Fund: Establishment of Agribusiness SME fund to provide risk capital (equity) to MSMEs;
• Establishing stewardship councils: for Milk, Fisheries, Piggery and sustainable market led climate resilient production

(b) Component B: Facilitate Agro-Cluster Development: The project will support enterprise clusters in Agro-processing. It will also support establishment of a modern supply chain from farm to market that would enable farmers and other value chain participants to access new markets. This would be done by enabling secondary and tertiary processing that creates higher value for the produce; supporting a supply chain infrastructure that prevents wastage and value erosion in transportation, and allows access to more distant markets; and supporting the development and up-gradation of basic and agriculture-specific infrastructure, including transportation linkages, warehousing capacity and wholesale market facilities.

• Support establishment of Industry Association (IA): Anchored by District Industries & Commerce Centres (DICCs); through preparation and implementation of district agro-industrial development plans;
• Supply chain infrastructure support to establish a modern supply chain: The project will support need based infrastructures in and around clusters such as modernizing & upgrading warehouses and Agriculture markets, common service platforms, road, power, etc.

(c) Component C: Market-led Production and Resilience Enhancement : The component is intended for enabling the farmers to take advantage of the rapidly changing consumer demand and enhance resilience of agriculture production systems and value-chain financing opportunities.

• Developing climate resilient production clusters: Anchored by ATMA, this sub-component will include market led and climate smart diversification and intensification of production systems;
• Common service centres (CSC) and market intelligence cell : This sub-component will focus on setting up farmer CSCs (managed by FPOs) for accessing input and output markets, implementing value-chain plans; improving value realization and adherence food safety norms through improved cleaning, grading and packing of produces. A Market Intelligence cell will also be set up for innovative production risk management;
• Facilitating access and responsible use of financial services : Financial education & counselling, piloting electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipts, facilitating access to a broad set of financial services to farmers/farmer organizations in partnership with commercial Banks;

(d) Component D: Project Management, Monitoring and Learning : This component will ensure effective implementation of the project activities and monitor and evaluate project implementation progress, outputs and outcomes, building on implementation experience of Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AACP). The component inter alia will support : (i) establishment and operations of a Project Coordination Unit (PCU), which will oversee and coordinate activities of the implementing agencies of the project; (ii) establishment and operations of Project Implementation Units in the respective implementing agencies; and (iii) setting up of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for the project, including a project management information system, and contracting an external M&E agency to monitor project activities and impact.

Implementation arrangements: The project will monitored and coordinated by the ARIAS Society and will be implemented by the Departments of Industries & Commerce; Agriculture; Fisheries; A.H. & Veterinary; Cooperation; Public Works Roads; Handloom, Textiles & Sericulture, and Panchayat & Rural Development and the Assam Agricultural University. There will Core Project Implementation Units (CPIUs) at the Secretariat level and Operational PIU (OPIUs) at each of the Directorate/HOD level including the public agencies under them involved in the project.

District Level Coordination Committees (DLCCs): The DLCCs being notified for all the 16 undivided (as on 1st April. 2016) districts for monitoring and coordinating of the project activities in the respective districts. It will be headed by the DC and the ADC (Development) will be the Member Secy. The District Level officers of the implementing Agencies, representatives from the lead commercials banks in the District will be the members.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:

Name of the Project : Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART)          

Project Period : 7 Years

Total outlay for the OPIU-H&T: 22.80 Cr.

Product covered: Muga and Eri Silk

Target districts and number of beneficiaries: The following five districts have been prioritized on the basis of plantation area, Nos. of rearers, reelers, spinners and weavers, production of raw silk and silk fabrics in the districts. Total 17,000 beneficiaries (10,000 in Sericulture sector and 7000 in handloom sector) will be covered under the project-

 Major Activities:

- Publicity and awareness:

- Skill Upgradation training for weavers:

- Training to departmental staff

- State level workshops for cross learning

- Exposure visits:

- Inputs of new design, value addition:

- Brand-building and market outreach activities:

- Hand-woven in Assam campaign:

- Marketing linkages

Activities taken up in OPIU-H&T (Silk Value Chain) since Project Inception

Targeted 7000 beneficiary selection in the eight project districts have been completed and approved by DLCC. The target of beneficiary for the new districts have been processed. District Covered: Kamrup, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Majuli, Jorhat, Biswanath and newly introduced districts namely Dhemaji, Darrang, Morigaon and BTR.

Physical Activities

A. Awareness Program

• Awareness Programs on project orientation have been conducted in eight project districts under Silk value chain in the year 2018-19 and 2019 -20. Total 35 nos of Awareness programs have been completed and 7982 people have participated in the programs.

B. Studies

• “Diagnostic study on weavers’ needs in respect of Eri & Muga silk” under Directorate of Handloom & Textiles was conducted by IIT, Guwahati.
• Market Share and Market Size Study of Eri & Muga Silk” under Directorate of Handloom & Textiles was initiated through Yes Bank, since February, 2019. The study was discontinued as Yes Bank failed to submit reports as per the intended milestones.

C. Departmental Training/Workshop

• Four Training Programs of Departmental Staff conducted till date. Total 99 officers from the project districts were trained for smooth implementation of project activities.
• Four District and four State level Cross-Learning Workshops were conducted during 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 and 402 weavers, entrepreneurs, traders and technical officers attended the workshops.
• Eight Workshops on application of Natural (vegetable) dyes on Silk have been conducted in the year 2020-21. Total 160 beneficiaries participated in the programs.
• Eight Workshops on Design development using Jacquard machine have been conducted in the year 2020-21. Total 160 beneficiaries participated in the programs. 

D. Exposure Visit

• An Exposure Visit of Officers with 10 participants to progressive handloom clusters of Hyderabad, Pochampalli, Dharmavaram and Bengaluru conducted during 2019-20.
• Another Exposure visit of weavers with 25 participants to handloom clusters of Samudragarh, Santipur and Fulia completed during 2019-2020.

E. Orientation Visit

• An Orientation programme of Resource Persons for Design workshops completed with twenty (20) participants during 2020-21.
• An Orientation programme of Resource persons for Natural Dyeing workshops completed with twenty (20) participants during 2020-21.
• One Training of Trainers program of Weaving conducted with 20 participants during 2020-21.

F. SKILL UPGRADATION TRAINING ON WEAVING

• Under Project APART, 17 nos. of Skill Development Trainings on Weaving conducted covering 340 weavers. The duration of each program is 30 working days. The training was conducted on improvised looms with Jacquard using Eri and Muga Silk yarn.

G. SKILL UPGRADATION TRAINING ON NATURAL DYEING

• 12 Skill Development Trainings on Natural Dyeing conducted covering 240 weavers. The duration of each program is 7 working days

H. SKILL UPGRADATION TRAINING ON DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

• 15 Skill Development Trainings on Design Development conducted covering 300 weavers. The duration of each program is 10 working days.

I. MARKETING LINKAGES ACTIVITIES

• TRIFED: Market linkage initiative has been done with TRIFED for enrolment of TRIBAL weavers for procurement of Handloom products.
• Participated representing APART in “Asomi SARAS Fair 2021” organized by ASRLM from 19th Jan 2021 to 1st Feb 2021 at Ganesh Mandir Indoor Stadium, Khanapara. A total sale of Rs.6.00 lakhs were received for various Eri and Muga product.
• Participated in District Level Marketing Expo organized by O/o the Assistant Director, Handloom & Textiles, Kamrup from 11th Feb 2021 to 15th Feb 2021 at Directorate of Handloom & Textiles, Guwahati, Assam.
• Participated representing APART in “Asomi SARAS Fair 2021” organized by ASRLM at Tezpur from 02/12/2021 to 11/12/2021
• Participated representing APART in “Asomi SARAS Fair 2022” organized by ASRLM from at Ganesh Mandir Indoor Stadium, Khanapara.

J. FORMATION OF FARMERS PRODUCER COMPANY (FPC)

• Formation of 4 FPCs have been completed in 4 project districts.
• In Lakhimpur district, Den Multipurpose Agriculture Producer Co. Ltd.,is formed. MoU signed and the first instalment of Rs. 15.00 lakhs have been released.
• In Jorhat, Charaideo and Sonitpur district, Titabor Paat Muga Farmers Producer Company Limited, Charaideo Silk and Agro Producer Company Limited and Nobomilan Agro Producer Company Limited are formed respectively.
• # 7 another FPCs to be formed in Kamrup, Sivsagar, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Biswanath and Majuli.
• Business plan of Charaideo Silk and Agro Producer Company Limited has been approved and Nobomilan FPC have been reviewed by OPIU and process to submit for task force.

Name of the Weaver: Moromi Dutta Duwara
Vill- Rudrasagar
Dist. Sivsagar

The weaver/ Entrepreneur Moromi Dutta Duwara is a progressive weaver and being engaged in handloom weaving activities since last 12 years. Her initial income from production of Muga and other silk Rs. 25000/-per month. She has been participated in Skill up-gradation Training program on Weaving under APART in October 2020. She started to produced value added product by using Jacquard and increased possession of looms upto 11 Nos. and engaged 14 Nos of weavers. The weavers are now producing Muga Saree, Mekhala Chadar and Stoles etc. Her income is now around Rs. 45000 to Rs. 50000/- per month.

Name of the Weaver: Jyoti Dowarah
Vill- Katharbari
Dist. Lakhimpur

The weaver Jyoti Dowarah has been engaged in Muga Silk weaving for last 10 years. She used to produce Handloom products and her earning was around Rs. 6000-8000 per month. She has been participated in Skill up-gradation Training program on Weaving under APART in November 2020. She started new designed Product on Muga Silk especially Mekhela Chadar and Riha and able to get new orders. The income of the weaver is now enhanced upto Rs. 9000/- to Rs.10000/- per month.

Name of the Weaver: Bondana Phukon
Vill- Maibela
Dist. Charaideo

The weaver Bondana Phukon has been engaged in Muga and Eri Silk weaving for last 12 years. She lost her husband in 2010 after that she has been managing her livelihood by selling of Handloom products. Her daughter and father in laws are staying with her and she is the only bread earner. She has been working in her Handloom for 8-9 hours per day. She participated in Skill up-gradation Training of Designing under APART in November 2020. She started development of new designs on Muga Silk products and managed to get orders and her income enhance to Rs. 15000-18000/month.

Name of the Weaver: Ranu Kachari
Vill- 2No Bebejiya Kachari Gao,Titabor
Dist. Jorhat

The weaver Ranu Kachari is a progressive weaver and engaged in handloom weaving activities since last 8 years. Initially she has started her industry with 3 Nos of Handlooms. Her initial income from production of Muga, eri and other silk was Rs. 20000 to Rs. 25000/-per month. She has been participated in exposure visit conducted under APART to Samudragarh, Santipur, Bardhaman and Fulia Handloom cluster of West Bengal in February 2020. After the visit she installed another 7 improve Handlooms and increase her productivity. Now she is producing value-added products like Muga and Eri Stoles, Waistcoat etc. Her income has been enhanced to Rs. 35000 to Rs. 40000/- per month.